Social MediaAnd the Presentation of Self

By Mathew Cortez, Joshua Rochette, Casey Lau, and Megan Dolan

Introduction- Erving Goffman’s book: The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life published in 1956

- suggests that we try to control how those we interact with perceive and form impressions of

us

- play a combination of roles that make up a whole

- Technology prepares us to play these roles at different times

Introduction- The key players are all individuals using social media

- sincere vs cynical performers

- “ideal type” integral in the interactions between the performer and the audience

- Social media is used by all age groups

- Social media allows individuals to present themselves in different ways on different social media sites

- Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tinder, etc.

- these act as virtual “props”

Current Examples- Setting

change (In person→ Online)In person

Manage - clothing appearance, attitude, conversation,

location

- Oldenburg describes Third Places as places outside

of the work or home where people come to socialize,

such as coffee houses and cafes

- “home away from home” environment

- engaging with “familiar strangers”

- openness, neutrality, conversation, social well-

being

Online

- photos and videos can observe participants and

jeopardize comfort of “home away from home”

- contemporary third places are virtual third places or

ICT-supported third places

- smaller tables for private media use, power

outlets, conversation augmented by laptops

and cell phones

- participants can “peek inside” third places without

having to enter

- engage in conversation through comments

- advertise on Facebook through likes and

shares

Current Examples- Tinder Online

Reduced cues -

- People have to present themselves based on their own

self knowledge which might not match with reality

- making effort to hide the things about themselves

- All front stage online (people only show what they want

seen)

Asynchronicity -

- delayed response time changes the way a person

presents themselves (time allows people to act differently

than if they had to react immediately

In Person

- Less control over presentation of self

- Difficult to hide things about themselves in person

Synchronicity -

- Have to respond as one normally would, no time to

present their ideal selves

Current Examples-New Social

Scripts In Person

Script - “Hello, how are you? Good. How are

you?”

Set starting and ending points of a conversation

Dictates behavior

Very formal (People act as expected according to

the script)

Online

Script - Less structured, being able to jump to any part of the

conversation

Conversation are just picked up where they left off, no need

to conform to the old script

Less emotions conveyed due to most conversations being

text based

Less props needed, just need to manage the profile the

communication is taking place on

Core Principles of social

informatics 1. Uses of ICT lead to multiple and sometimes paradoxical effects

- higher self-esteem after looking at FB profile than after looking at self in mirror

- More time on Internet=decreased well-being. Most students reported that the Internet was less useful than face to face

communication for building relationships

2. Uses of ICT shape thought and action in ways that benefit some groups more than others

- strong ties vs weak ties; twitter ineffective in helping Iranian Revolution

- Online networks are great for spreading word, but real world face to face connection best for high-risk change

3. The differential effects of the design, implementation and uses of ICTs often have

moral and ethical consequences

- should a “virtual spouse” be able to claim Social Security benefits of a partner?

- techno brush-off: breaking up with someone over text message or email

Core Principles of social

informatics 4. The design, implementation and uses of ICTs have reciprocal relationships with the

larger social context

- Paolo Zamboni reported in DEC 2009 that inflating a balloon inside twisted veins in the neck provided relief from

multiple sclerosis

- National MS Society of Canada have pledged $2.4 million over the next two years to examine the role that problems

with veinous circulation might play in MS

5. The phenomenon of interest will vary by the level of analysis

- Young users of technology positively responded to the creation of file-sharing websites which made it easier to share

things like MP3s

- The music industry had a negative response because file sharing meant losing money

Field Experience

Some 93% of hiring managers search LinkedIn LNKD, -0.70% for recruits, according to a 2013 survey by career website

Jobvite (Fottrell)

Expert opinions

Reference ListFottrell, Quentin. How Job Recruiters Screen You on LinkedIn.

MarketWatch. N.p., 4 May 2014. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.

Memarov, Nemanja. Rethinking Third Places: Contemporary Design With Technology. The Journal of

Community Informatics. N.p. 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2015. http://uc.inf.usi.ch/sites/all/files/rethinking-JoCI-01-

web.pdf